One of the most interesting things I have observed regarding human psychology is the different people and groups that people associate with and why.
For instance, people love to associate with winners. Winners of what? Anything really, but the most common winners that people like to associate with are sports teams that have won championships.
Sure, watching sports is fun and entertaining, but why the personal association with the team? Why buy the hat and the t-shirt? Because in this way, we get to associate with winners.
To other people, it’s not a team, but a specific player. Again, to personally identify with a winner.
So why do people cheer for teams that are no good? There’s some different reasoning that comes into play here. Sometimes we cheer for a team, not out of any real love or loyalty to the team, but out of devotion to a parent or grandparent or good friend that loves that team.
In these cases, the person isn’t concerned about identifying with a winner, but instead, identifying with someone they care about.
Identifying too closely with a team or player can be hard on a person. If you identify too closely, your mood will be affected by the success of a team or a player that you have zero control over.
I must confess, that it’s for this reason that some time ago I stopped allowing myself to identify as closely with my favorite teams. I got tired of allowing the performances of others to determine whether I would be happy or frustrated.
Why am I going on about all this? I say all of that so I can urge you to stop identifying with organizations or people that are imperfect and inconsistent. Instead, choose for the heart of your personal identity to be found in Christ Jesus.
I’m not saying to not like other things. I’m saying to not allow anything to encapsulate so much of your identity that they have the power to alter you in any way. I’m saying, choose to associate with the only winner that is perfectly consistent and never loses.
How much do you associate, personally, with Jesus? As much as Paul, who says in Galatians 2:20,
20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Paul identified with no one else and nothing else, like he identified with Jesus. And this identification gave his life purpose and fulfillment and satisfaction. Better than all of those things, Paul’s identification with Christ also gave him eternal life with Christ.
You may love a sports team or great athlete, but I think you know, deep down, they don’t love you back. Jesus is the greatest champion of anything and everything of all time and He WILL love you back. Associate with Him above all else.
Much love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
